Neck gaiter

ABSTRACT

A neck gaiter comprising a knit body having a densely knit portion, a loosely knit portion, and a seamless transition from the densely knit portion to the loosely knit portion. A method of manufacturing a neck gaiter that includes knitting a knit body having a densely knit portion that seamlessly transitions into a loosely knit portion to form a breathable region.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of face and neck gaiters for cold weather use, and methods of manufacturing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People who live in cold climates have long been familiar with the discomfort of venturing outside in freezing or below-freezing temperatures. Of particular concern to many is the risk of damage to extremities manifesting as callouses, numbness, loss of blood flow, frostbite, and other cold related ailments.

To mitigate these risks, many people wear garments such as gloves, mittens, boots, hats and earmuffs. With regard to the face and neck area, many people wear face masks, neck gaiters and balaclavas, hereinafter “neck gaiters,” that cover at least a portion of the nose, mouth, cheeks and neck. However, neck gaiters that cover the mouth can obstruct the wearer's breathing, especially when conducting aerobic outdoor activities in cold weather.

The common solution to this problem has been to design neck gaiters with a hole in the mouth/nose area. This is typically accomplished by cutting a hole in the item during production, by die cutting through the material and sewing around the opening to limit unraveling of the material if the material is woven, knitted, stitched, etc. In addition, neck gaiters formed by cutting a hole in the mouth and/or nose area can be inefficient to manufacture.

Still, cutting a hole in the area of the mouth provides only a limited solution because it re-exposes the mouth/nose area, reintroducing the risk of discomfort from the cold. To limit the discomfort, manufacturers have employed neoprene type materials with a plurality of holes in the mouth area, or have sewn in different materials with greater permeability in the area of the mouth and/or nose. These solutions, however, create difficulties in the manufacture of the neck gaiter.

Accordingly, what is needed is a neck gaiter having a breathing area that covers the wearer's mouth and/or nose that is efficient to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a neck gaiter comprising a knit body including a densely knit portion, a loosely knit portion, and a seamless transition from the densely knit portion to the loosely knit portion, wherein the loosely knit portion has a stitch density less than the stitch density of the densely knit portion with gaps in the loosely knit portion.

In a preferred embodiment, the knit body is preferably a unitary and continuous structure without any independent connections or seams between its separate portions, the knit body forming a sleeve when ends of the knit body are fastened. To form the sleeve, the knit body is formed on a flat knitting machine, preferably from a single length of yarn, and ends of the knit body are attached along a seam. In one embodiment, the ends of the knit body are attached by a permanent attachment such as sewing, stitching, sonic welding, adhesives, or other known means, however, in another embodiment the ends are attached by a releasable attachment such as hook and loop fasteners, zippers, clasps, buttons, catches, snaps or the like.

The densely knit portion preferably encompasses a majority of the knit body, while the loosely knit portion is in a breathable region covering the wearer's mouth and/or nose area when pulled up over the wearer's face. The seamless transition from the loosely knit portion to the densely knit portion preferably comprises a drop in stitch density between the densely knit portion and the loosely knit portion, resulting in a larger gap between knots, or wales and courses, in the loosely knit portion than in the densely knit portion.

The neck gaiter can optionally employ one or more linings. Each of the one or more linings preferably comprises a lining material and an aperture corresponding to the area of the loosely knit portion of the knit body. The lining is preferably affixed to the knit body by a permanent attachment, preferably by sewing or stitching but otherwise by sonic welding, heat sealing, laminating, adhesives or the like, with the lining preferably affixed along at least the top, bottom and around the aperture. The aperture is preferably at least the same size as, and most preferably larger than, the loosely knit portion, so as not to obstruct the permeability of air through the loosely knit portion.

The present invention is also directed to a method of manufacturing a neck gaiter including the steps of flat knitting a knit body comprising a densely knit portion and a loosely knit portion without a seam therebetween, so that the densely knit portion and the loosely knit portions transition seamlessly, and attaching the ends of the knit body, either permanently or releasably, along a single seam.

The method of manufacturing the neck gaiter of the present invention optionally includes the step of forming a lining comprising a lining material and an aperture, and affixing the lining to the knit body about at least the top, bottom and about the aperture, such that the aperture substantially surrounds the loosely knit portion that forms the breathable region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood when considered in view of the attached drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts. The drawings, however, are presented merely to illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention in any manner whatsoever.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a neck gaiter of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of a flat sheet used to manufacture a neck gaiter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a lining for neck gaiter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a neck gaiter with lining according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment is presented to describe the present invention without limiting the scope of the appended claims in any manner whatsoever.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the present invention is directed to a neck gaiter 2 comprising a knit body 4 having a densely knit portion 6, a loosely knit portion 8 forming a breathable region, and a seamless transition 7 from the densely knit portion 6 to the loosely knit portion 8, wherein the loosely knit portion 8 has a stitch density less than the stitch density of the densely knit portion 6 with gaps in the loosely knit portion 8.

In an embodiment, the knit body 4 is substantially cylindrical or tubular and includes a continuous side wall defining first and second open ends. The knit body 4 can be any shape that enables it to fit over a wearer's face and neck. For example, the knit body 4 can be higher at the top edge in the front to cover a greater portion of the wearer's cheeks and nose, and or longer on the bottom in the front to extend down along the front of the wearer's neck, etc.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the knit body 4 is formed from a single knit material to form a unitary continuous structure without any independent connections or seams (such as stitched seams, stapled seams, adhesive seams, heat bonded seams, and the like). In this embodiment, the entire knit body 4, including not only the transition 7 between the densely knit portion 6 and the loosely knit portion 8 but also the entire densely knot portion 8, are seamless. More particularly, the densely knit portion 8 loosely knit portion 6 surrounds the densely knit portion 8 without any seams.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the knit body 4 can comprise at least one seam 10 connecting two or more of its edges. In such an embodiment, the at least one seam 10 preferably comprises a single seam 10 that is transverse to the circumference of the knit body 4 opposite the loosely knit portion 8.

The seam 10 may comprise a permanent attachment, creating a seam that is not releasable without destroying the integrity of the seam 10, or a releasable attachment, creating a seam that can be released and resealed repeatedly. For example, a permanent attachment may comprise a seam formed by sewing or stitching, by sonic welding, heat sealing, adhesives or the like, where a releasable attachment may comprise hook and loop fasteners, zippers, clasps, buttons, catches, snaps or the like

The knit body 4 can be knit in a variety of patterns, colors, designs, and textures, as are well known in the art. For example, the constituent knit of the knit body 4 can comprise individual threads each having the same or different color and/or texture and the knit body 4 can comprise a single knit pattern or multiple knit patterns throughout. It is also preferred that the densely knit portion 6 comprises a different knit pattern than the loosely knit portion 8, where the loosely knit portion 8 preferably comprises a mesh knit, or at least a mesh knit with larger gaps in the mesh.

Any knit pattern known or developed in the art may be suitable for use in the knit body 4 including plain knits, twilled knits, dobby knits, satin knits, lappet knits, crepe knits, leno knits, mesh knits, and the like. As used herein, the term “knit” is also intended to encompass weaves. Accordingly, any weave pattern known in the art is suitable for use in the knit body 4 including plain weaves, twilled weaves, dobby weaves, satin weaves, lappet weaves, crepe weaves, leno weaves, mesh weaves, and the like.

The densely knit portion 6 is characterized in that it has stitch density than the loosely knit portion 8, wherein the loosely knit portion has a stitch density of not more than one-half of the stitch density of the densely knit portion to form gaps between wales and courses in the loosely knit portion. The gaps can be of any size, but preferably are of sufficient size to enable a wearer to inhale and exhale through the loosely knit portion 8 without significant obstruction.

In a preferred embodiment, the densely knit portion 6 may have an average stitch density ranging from about 25 per cm² to about 150 per cm², more preferably from about 50 per cm² to about 100 per cm². In a preferred embodiment, the loosely knit portion 8 has an average stitch density of from about 4 per cm² to about 50 per cm² and most preferably an average stitch density of from about 9 per cm² to about 36 per cm². Notwithstanding, the average stitch density of the loosely knit portion 8 is preferably not more than about one-half the stitch density of the densely knit portion 6, and preferably from about 15% to about 35% of the stitch density of the densely knit portion.

The densely knit portion 6 of the knit body 4 preferably encompasses a majority of the knit body 4, such as greater than or equal to about 85% to about 90%, and even 95% or more of the area of the knit body 4. Most preferably, the densely knit portion 6 encompasses the entire knit body 4 except for the loosely knit portion 8 and the seamless transition 7.

The densely knit portion 6 and loosely knit portion 8 may be comprised of any suitable knit fabric material including materials made from natural fibers such as wool, cotton, silk, linen, hemp, and the like, synthetic materials such as, acrylic, rayon, spandex, polymers such as polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane, and the like, or combinations thereof. In a most preferred embodiment, the densely knit portion 6 and the loosely knit portion 8 comprises a wool, a wool/silk blend, a polymer, or a wool/polymer blend.

It is preferred that the densely knit portion 6 comprises the same material as the loosely knit portion 8. Nevertheless, the densely knit portion 6 and the loosely knit portion 8 can comprise different materials.

In one embodiment, the gap size between wales and courses in the loosely knit portion 8 is from about 0.5 mm to about 6 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the gap size between threads in the loosely knit portion 8 are from about 1 mm to about 5 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the gap size of the loosely knit portion 8 is at least double the gap size of the densely knit portion 6 by area, and preferably from about 200% to about 800% larger by area.

The gaps in the loosely knit portion 8 can be circular or, preferably, oval, with the preferred oval gaps having a height of about 3 mm and a width of about 1 mm to a height of about 5 mm and a width of about 3 mm. Moreover, the size of the gaps can be uniform across the loosely knit portion 8 or can differ in dimension. For example, the gaps can be larger in the middle of the loosely knit portion and progressively decrease moving toward the edges of the loosely knit portion 8. Alternatively, the gap size can vary in any pattern, creating an ornamental feature.

The loosely knit portion 8 is sized to cover at least a portion of at least one of the wearer's mouth and/or nose area. However, the loosely knit portion 8 is preferably sized to cover the entire mouth area of a wearer and/or the entire nose area of a wearer. Thus, the loosely knit portion 8 is preferably surrounded entirely by the densely knit portion 6. Moreover, the loosely knit portion 8 can be any shape including a square, a triangle, a diamond, a rhombus, a trapezoid, a pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, a circle, or an oval. Preferably, the loosely knit portion 8 is a rounded shape such as a circle or an oval.

In the most preferred embodiment, the loosely knit portion 8 is a circle or oval having a vertically oriented radius from about 0.75 to about 2.75 inches and a horizontally oriented radius ranging from about 0.5 to about 2.5 inches. However, in some embodiments, one or both radii can range from about 0.25 to about 5 inches or more in either direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the seamless transition 7 defines an interface between the densely knit portion 6 and the loosely knit portion 8 at which a substantial change in stitch density occurs. The seamless transition 7 is seamless in that the there are no independent attachments, i.e., seams, at the interface between the densely knit portion 6 and the loosely knit portion 8. The substantial change in stitch density from the densely knit portion 6 to the loosely knit portion 8 can comprise a drop off in stitch density to create an increase in gap size without any termination or disruption in the yarn of the knit.

In some embodiments, the transition may be abrupt, in that the average stitch density immediately changes from a first higher value to a second lower value, with an immediate increase in gap size, at the seamless transition 7. In some embodiments, the seamless transition 7 may be gradual, where the average stitch density decreases in a stepwise, linear, or exponentially diminishing/expanding fashion from the densely knit portion 6 to the loosely knit portion 8, with a similar change in increase of the gap size. In any transition, however, the densely knit portion 6 is separated from the loosely knit portion 8 by the seamless transition zone.

The seamless transition 7 from the densely knit portion 6 to the loosely knit portion 8 may also include a change in the knit pattern. In the most preferred embodiment, the seamless transition 7 delimits a change from the first knit pattern of the densely knit portion 6 to a mesh knit of the loosely knit portion 8. However, in some embodiments, there are additional changes in the knit pattern within one or both of the densely knit portion 6 and the loosely knit portion 8.

In a preferred embodiment, the neck gaiter 2 further comprise a lining on the interior of the knit body 4. Preferably, the lining 12 is made of a single material layer attached to the interior of the knit body comprising an aperture 16 corresponding to the loosely knit portion 8 of the knit body 4.

The material of the lining 12 can be any suitable material known in the art including materials made from natural fibers such as wool, cotton, silk, linen, hemp, and the like, synthetic materials such as nylon, acrylic, rayon, spandex, polymers such as polyesters, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the like, or combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the lining 12 is a stretchable fabric such as a windproof polyester fleece.

The aperture 16 can be integrally formed in the lining material during manufacture or separately cut out from a continuous sheet of the lining material. Preferably, the lining 12 is attached to the interior of the knit body 4 so that the aperture 16 fully surrounds loosely knit portion 8, forming the breathable region. Thus, the aperture 16 of the lining 12 should be approximately equal to or, preferably, slightly greater in size and dimension to the loosely knit portion 8.

The lining 12 can be attached to the knit body 4 by any method known in the art such as stitching, sewing, sonic welding, heat sealing, laminating, adhesives or the like, with the lining preferably affixed along at least the top, bottom and around the aperture, and the like. Preferably, the lining 12 is affixed to the knit body 4 by one or more attachments 18. In a preferred embodiment, the one or more attachments 18 comprise one or more stitched seams. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the lining 12 can be attached to the knit body 4 about the top and bottom of the knit body 4, at the ends of the knit body 4, and around the loosely knit portion 8. Preferably, the lining 12 is affixed to the knit body 4 adjacent the edges of the knit body 4, prior to forming the knit body 4 into a cylinder.

The present invention is also directed to a method of manufacturing a neck gaiter 2 that includes the steps of knitting a densely knit portion 6 with seamless transition to a loosely knit portion 8. Most preferably, this comprises flat knitting the knit body 4 with the densely knit portion 6 seamlessly transitioning into the loosely knit portion 8 at the transition 7, and attaching the ends at seam 10. To accomplish the seamless transition from the densely knit portion 6 to the loosely knit portion 8, the knitting is performed continuously, meaning that knitting the densely knit and loosely knit portions 6 and 8 is performed without terminating the yarn across the transition 7.

The step of seamlessly transitioning the knit from the densely knit portion 6 to the loosely knit portion 8 can be performed by any know method of altering a knit. In a preferred embodiment, the knitting machine used to manufacture the knit body 4 is a flat knitting machine.

The step of seamlessly transitioning the knit can also comprise changing the knit pattern. In a preferred embodiment, the step of transitioning the knit comprises transitioning from a solid knit for the densely knit portion 6 to a mesh knit for the loosely knit portion 8.

In one embodiment, the knit body 4 comes off a knitting machine in a substantially cylindrical shape or similar shape that enables it to fit over a wearer's face without any internal seams. In a preferred embodiment, the method can comprise the step of forming the knit body 4 as a flat sheet, followed by the step of adhering the two longitudinal edges of the flat sheet to form the cylindrical knit body 4.

The method of manufacturing the neck gaiter 2 can also comprise preparing a lining 12 comprising a an aperture 16 corresponding to the loosely knit portion 6 and affixing the lining 12 to the knit body 4, such that the aperture 16 substantially surrounds the loosely knit portion 8 to form the breathable region. The step of preparing the lining 12 may comprise forming the lining material with an aperture 16 or cutting the aperture 16 in the lining material.

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention, and that this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described since variation, modification, and/or alternatives can occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art. All such variations, modifications and/or alternatives are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

The term “comprising” as used in the following claims is an open-ended transitional term that is intended to include additional elements not specifically recited in the claims. It is also noted that any feature or element positively identified in this document may also be specifically excluded as a feature or element of an embodiment of the present invention. 

1. A neck gaiter comprising a knit body comprising a densely knit portion, a loosely knit portion, and a seamless transition from the densely knit portion to the loosely knit portion, wherein the loosely knit portion has a stitch density less than of the stitch density of the densely knit portion with gaps in the loosely knit portion.
 2. The neck gaiter according to claim 1, wherein the knit body is substantially cylindrical.
 3. The neck gaiter according to claim 1, wherein the knit body comprises a unitary continuous structure without seams.
 4. The neck gaiter according to claim 1, wherein the densely knit portion encompasses the majority of the knit body.
 5. The neck gaiter according to claim 4, wherein the densely knit portion encompasses the entire knit body except for the loosely knit portion.
 6. The neck gaiter according to claim 1, wherein the gaps of the loosely knit portion are sufficiently large to enable a wearer to inhale and exhale without significant obstruction.
 7. The neck gaiter according to claim 1 wherein the breathable region of the loosely knit portion is shaped as a circle or an oval.
 8. The neck gaiter according to claim 1, wherein the seamless transition comprises a drop off in average yarn count and/or an increase in average gap size between individual threads from the densely knit portion to the loosely knit portion.
 9. The neck gaiter according to claim 8, wherein the seamless transition comprises a change in a knit pattern between the densely knit portion and the loosely knit portion.
 10. The neck gaiter according to claim 8, wherein the seamless transition is a transition point or a transition zone.
 11. The neck gaiter according to claim 1 further comprising at least one lining.
 12. The neck gaiter according to claim 11, wherein the at least one lining comprises an aperture in the lining corresponding to the loosely knit portion.
 13. The neck gaiter according to claim 12, wherein the size and shape of the aperture is substantially the same as or greater than the size and shape of the loosely knit portion, forming a breathable region.
 14. A method of manufacturing a neck gaiter comprising the step of knitting a knit body having a densely knit portion that seamlessly transitions into a loosely knit portion to form a breathable region.
 15. The method of manufacturing a neck gaiter of claim 14, wherein seamlessly transitioning the knit comprises a change in average stitch density.
 16. The method of manufacturing a neck gaiter of claim 14, further comprising forming a lining comprising a lining material having an aperture and attaching the lining to the knit body, such that the aperture substantially surrounds the loosely knit portion.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the knit body is formed flat, further comprising the steps of attaching the ends to form a cylindrical member.
 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the knit body is formed flat with opposed lateral ends and the lining is attached to the knit body, further comprising attaching the lateral ends of the knit body to form a cylindrical member.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the lateral ends are permanently attached.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein the lateral ends are releasably attached. 